


Lavender Sky

by verdantberry



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Drabble, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-17 17:48:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21058469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/verdantberry/pseuds/verdantberry
Summary: Mordecai thinks about his past losses.





	Lavender Sky

In the early morning, one could be forgiven for thinking Pandora was beautiful. The sky was adorned with splashes of light pink and soft lavender, with clouds spreading out as if the planet itself was stretching its arms to greet the new day. The sun had not yet begun to beat down upon the desert sands, nor had the skags started their morning hunts. The only sound that could be heard was the wind, whistling a somber morning tune, as if it was relishing the calm before the inevitable chaos. 

It was Talon, pecking incessantly at Mordecai’s mask, that woke him up. Mordecai blearily waved his hands around, trying to get the bird to leave him alone. He must have fallen asleep on the roost again. He always seemed to do that these days.

“Alright, alright girl. I’m up,” he groaned, stroking Talon’s feathered head lightly in acknowledgment. The bird cooed, which would be an odd shift in the creature’s normal behavior for anyone other than Mordecai. Talon was fierce and deadly. Just like Bloodwing. Well, just like Bloodwing was. Mordecai reached over and grabbed his rifle, slinging it over his back. The strap chafed around his neck, so he tugged at it slightly until it rested on his shoulder. He motioned for Talon to follow, and headed downstairs, grumbling about naming their base “Boomtown.” He had a new idea, which even Tina might go for. 

He walked outside, ready to pitch the new name, but no one else was there. Brick and Tina were always there in the morning. Brick had a ton of morning workout rituals, and Tina loved making them harder simply by existing. 

“Brick? Tina?” Mordecai called out. 

He was answered by gunshots, just below the cliff face near Bloodwing’s memorial. 

_ No. No no no. _

__   
__   
Images of Roland, of Bloodwing, filled his head. 

_ Please be okay, please be okay.  _

He ran over, his heart pounding, only to see Brick and Tina joyously firing at skags down below. He exhaled, relieved to see them alive. Brick was holding one of the skags up, demanding it drop something. Tina was firing shots into the air, shouting nonsense that sounded like vague and incoherent attempts at intimidation. It was an insane thing to watch, yet completely commonplace.

After watching for a little while, Mordecai’s gaze turned upwards to the statue of his old companion. They had taken it from Roland’s Rest. Roland would understand. The old bird had to be closer to the sky, afterall. He ran his fingers along the base of the sculpture, imagining her coarse feathers, just like Talon’s. She deserved better than being chained up, experimented on like some kind of lab rat. She must have been terrified.   
  


“Miss ya girl,” he murmured, as his gaze now turned skyward towards Elpis, now emblazoned with the symbol of the Firehawk.

Mordecai hadn’t spoken to Lilith in years. He didn’t harbor the same resentment towards her that Brick did, but he hadn’t spoken to her all the same. He wanted her to step up, to be the leader she should be. It took losing Sanctuary for her to do that. He wanted to talk to Brick about it, but Brick wouldn’t hear it.    
  
“If she needs us, we’ll help. No need to stick around though,” Brick had said, attempting a casual approach. Mordecai remembered there being a tinge of sadness to his voice, but he couldn’t get Brick to talk about it any more than that.    
  


Lilith had never asked for their help, even with these Calypso maniacs. Nothing. Mordecai wondered if she didn’t want to endanger them, didn’t want to lose more people like how they lost Roland. Maybe. At least it gave her a reason to not talk to them. Maybe they could have helped her, though. Maybe there would be no need for her to do what she did. Maybe-   
  
He felt resentment growing in his chest, and he snapped his eyes away from the fierce flame in the heavens. Too many good people had been lost. Roland, Lilith, Bloodwing, Maya… even the little sharpshooter, Gracie, that he would visit when he was on world. The fire took them all in the end, scattering the ashes across the stars. He wanted a drink all of a sudden, something he hadn’t done in years. He wouldn’t go for one, but the desire was there. To distract himself, he gazed downwards again, to Brick and Tina, who were jumping around in circles for some reason.   
  
Talon flew overhead, piercing the pink strewn sky, but Mordecai didn’t look up. Instead, he gazed down at the family he had left and chuckled to himself. Tina finally noticed him, and started waving wildly. Brick did as well. Mordecai raised one hand in acknowledgement. He felt a small smile beginning to form on his face.   
  


Maybe this was enough.    
  



End file.
